'The Grinch has taken over Christmas. And I think it's time we cancel him for good.'

The Grinch is back in the cultural zeitgeist this year and, is it just me, or does he seem to be making his way onto, well... absolutely everything? On pyjamas. Mugs. Kids lunch boxes. Even adult underwear. Imagine that!

Due to the absolute attack on our senses with increased Grinch merchandise, and after careful consideration and much deliberation, I have decided that Christmas 2024 is the year I put my foot down about this nonsense. Because I have had it. 

From scaring small children to the fact that he literally stole Christmas from an entire village of people (one with some very mean people in it, I'll admit), are we all going to pretend that The Grinch isn't the absolute worst? Unlike other members of the Mamamia team, who believe The Grinch to be a certified Christmas hottie (for reasons I will never understand), I will not be participating in The Grinch love fest. No, thank you. 

Watch the trailer for How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Article continues after video. 

This is the year we are cancelling The Grinch once and for all. There, I said it. So, who's with me? 

First of all, How The Grinch Stole Christmas is not a kids' movie. In fact, if anything, it broke my childhood watching this film. I recall watching the movie, expecting the Christmas cheer and child-appropriate comedy I was promised, and was promptly hit in the face with what can only be described as total fear and sadness. 

Okay, that might be some extreme hyperbole (there are some redeeming qualities about the film) but that doesn't take away from the fact that The Grinch is a literal grown man who, at the beginning of the movie, feels completely comfortable terrifying small and innocent children. 

I was terrified of The Grinch as a child. Maybe I still am. Image: Universal Pictures. 

Sure, he saves Cindy Lou when she falls into the gift shoot. But are we supposed to clap for that given, literally moments later, he traps her entirely in wrapping paper against her will? A real hero in our midst. 

"Hello?" Cindy Lou is heard yelling after he leaves her unable to see or move until someone else finds her. Shocking. How dare he!

Another thing I will never get over in How the Grinch Stole Christmas — and actually actively avoid watching when clips pop up on my TikTok feed for fear of crying — are the scenes where The Grinch is a child. The flashbacks to when he's being bullied for absolutely no good reason (not that there ever is). His little face covered in cuts from shaving. Him crying as he's hiking up the mountain after being tormented. Leave him alone! Why would I enjoy this!

It sucks. It all sucks. 

And while, I'll admit, those scenes do provide an important backstory for why The Grinch is – well, The Grinch – it's sad and unnecessary. I don't like it. Not one bit. Don't even get me started on the Whos in Whoville, they suck more than anything I've written up to this point. 

Okay, The Grinch and his dog are very cute. Image: Universal Pictures. 

While we're piling on, are we also going to ignore the entire subplot that has one character actively trying to sleep with The Grinch the entire time? Miss Martha May (Christine Baranski) is positively obsessed with him, and it's a story line I do not, and will never, understand.

Even Jim Carrey, the film's titular Grinch, has some bad memories of his time on set. With the combination of prosthetics, costume and heavy makeup, the actor would spend hours preparing to play the Grinch in each unsettling scene. And he described the process as "being buried alive every day." He needed the help of CIA operatives on how to endure literal torture in order to complete the film. And I'm just saying this kind of unhinged energy has been woven into the fabric of this movie, which no kid should be watching. 

All in all, I think I've made my point. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is undeniably the worst. Although I will surely be outvoted this Christmas and be forced to watch it again, you won't see me picking up a pair of Grinch underwear anytime soon. 

Feature image: Universal Pictures.